Wife of the Gods Reviews

Los Angeles Times Bestseller

“It’s an absolute gem of a first novel and the sort of book that will delight not only hard-core mystery fans, but also those who visit the genre only casually..[It] is not simply an extraordinarily well-crafted mystery; it’s also an extremely well-structured and deftly written novel.. Wife of the Gods undoubtedly will be compared with Alexander McCall Smith’s phenomenally successful “No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” series, but Quartey’s debut is — to this reader, at least — a far richer and more sophisticated experience. The author is working on a second novel and, if it lives up to this one’s promise, mystery fans have an important new voice to savor.”– Tim Rutten, Los Angeles Times

“Kwei Quartey’s first novel, Wife of the Gods, is a dark, edgy mystery that’s almost gritty enough to be considered noir. The book is a marvelous detective procedural; its complex plot includes a plethora of suspects and clues that will keep readers guessing the murderer’s identity until the inevitable confrontation at the book’s climax.”– Book Browse

“For fans of Alexander McCall Smith comes a debut mystery novel by Kwei Quartey that introduces a marvelously intuitive detective and a rich cast of characters.”– Random House, publishers of Wife Of The Gods

“Move over Alexander McCall Smith. Ghana has joined Botswana on the map of mystery … more sociological than McCall Smith’s, his setting [is] more rural and susceptible to the ways of magicians..[This] newcomer is most welcome.”– Kirkus Reviews

“What a delightful debut novel…Dr. Quartey has created a rich world filled with “real” characters and will be a joy to read by mystery buffs and others who want a glimpse of Ghanian life, mixed as it is with old and new customs.”– Bestsellersworld.com

“Quartey’s winning debut, a police procedural set in modern Ghana, introduces gifted detective Darko Dawson … a wonderful creation, a man as rich with contradictions as the Ghana Quartey so delightfully evokes … readers will be eager for the next installment in what one hopes will be a long series.”-Publishers Weekly

“Kwei Quartey’s wonderful Inspector Darko Dawson mystery, Wife of the Gods, brings to vivid life a character and a setting that no mystery fan should miss.”– Charles Todd, author of A Matter of Justice: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery

“WIFE OF THE GODS is a gem. Memorable fiction is always about discovery, and this fascinating debut delivers much that is new. Kwei Quartey contrasts the modern against the ancient while portraying his native West Africa in a way that is always fresh and alluring. He introduces us to people we don’t know who live a culture we’ve never imagined, and he manages to offer the most elusive of fabulist gifts-an engrossing story we haven’t heard.”– Stephen White, author of Dead Time

“A sensitive novel of powerful family passions, set in the unique and vivid colours of Ghana. It is a complex mystery and with a detective that I hope we meet again.”– Anne Perry, author of Buckingham Palace Gardens

“With great artistry, Quartey takes us on a mystical trip through the heart of Ghana where we visit remarkable characters and find ourselves tangled in unfathomable mysteries.”– Colin Cotterill, author of Curse of the Pogo Stick

“Recently two authors we have worked with sold their books for big and bigger money. To major houses prepared to do real work nurturing the careers of these writers. Both are novelists writing non-genre fiction, and their personal stories are as different as their books; but alike in that both illustrate the meaning of belief in yourself and your work, and the willingness to put in the sweat equity that leads to success, even when you’re writing non-genre quality fiction that one way or another pushes the envelope. One of these writers had a previous book (with a small press) and a former agent (major) when he came to us. The other was a debut author and he wanted a real agent and a real publisher.

Here’s the debut author’s story first – condensed more tightly than a can of Campbell’s soup, but you’ll get the point. Kwei Quartey came to the US from Ghana as a boy, became a doctor, and never lost the itch to write fiction. Particularly a story that would help him explore the Ghanaian world of his youth. He began using AR&E to look for an agent for WIFE OF THE GODS around 1999. We did our best, but no takers. Agents were hugely complimentary, but backed off because this is not an easy to classify book. Kwei did something else. Came back. No takers. He went back and did some rewriting on WOTG. In this case it was obvious he was very talented and had a really good book (agents do not say “I absolutely love this but I don’t know where to sell it” to every author they turn down; when they do, they mean it). We tried again. Fooled around with some different angles by way of agent selection. More near misses. Then, having not been in touch with him for some time, I saw a book Marly Rusoff had sold that made me think of Kwei and his Ghanaian detective. I already knew Marly was a terrific agent – worth a shot.

This past week, after a huge amount of commitment from the whole Rusoff operation, Marly conducted a tightly focused auction between Random and Viking Penguin which wasn’t just about top money, but about how her author felt after he talked to both editors. In the end, though he liked Viking Penguin a lot, Kwei decided to go with Random.

There’s a sentence in most of the memos we write to accompany a Customized Fingerprint Report for writers seeking an agent – few things are more difficult than going after a major publishing contract. It is very true. Grown ups only allowed to play.”– Agent Research and Evaluation